Sacramento Tea Party

[RanchHQ]

From another Thread:

"I actually saw some of the signs made by some of these people and they were fairly offensive with blatantly racist comments on them. Was this really about "Taxes" really? I wouldn't think this would be a group that people would want to be part of IMHO."

This has bothered me since yesterday.

The charge of Racism is serious and I feel that those that are accused and unable to defend themselves, if warranted, need to be defended.

There is a group of eight of us that get together every year to Brand Cattle at each others place and have a Christmas Dinner.

Six of them attended yesterdays Tea Party in Sacramento.

None of them are Racists and I am proud to be part of this group.

Now, for the Poster who accused the thousands of Patriots that legally gathered of being "Racist" perhaps an explanation can be given for what she saw:

From The Code Pink Website:

Santa Monica Tea Party
Wednesday, April 15th 2009 4:00--5:00 PM
Santa Monica, CA

The Santa Monica Tea Party of 2009 and Tea Parties all across America are being organized by friends of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly, all about getting less funding for government. Let's show up with a better message: STOP funding wars and Wall Street, and start funding the needs of the people-- health care, education, and a green economy. Join us as we crash their party.

Location:
Santa Monica Pier
100 Colorado Ave.
Santa Monica, CA
90401

Contact:

Audrey
la@codepinkalert.org

LINK: CODEPINK*:*CODEPINK ACTION CALENDAR



From the daily kos:
Planning Fun with Teabaggers!
by tedshubris


Tue Apr 14, 2009 at 12:55:10 PM PDT

Tomorrow, my husband and I will be venturing into the wilds disguised as a news crew to do some in person interviewers with teabaggers here in [State Redacted] (if we can find any). We've got some questions lined up to ask, but I'd love to get suggestions!

tedshubris's diary :: ::
The great thing about owning professional video equipment is that armed with it, you can pass yourself off as being a professional news crew pretty easily.

So tomorrow, [Fake Station Name Redacted] is going to send a cameraman and on air news personality out into the field to cover this "teabagging" phenomenon.

We're going to ask open ended questions that seem to have a slight conservative bent to (hopefully) get them to open up and just start ranting. Then, we take any examples of racism, hatred, ignorance, and stupidity that we catch on camera and make a little movie out of it. Probably a YouTube special.



Here's the list we have so far:
* What are you celebrating (The Boston Tea Party), and can you explain its historical relevance? [We're hoping to get some hilarious flubs from this one]
* Is this your first time teabagging? [OK, so, a juvenile one, but worth it] (apparently, we're the only ones who have connected tea parties to teabagging. Or, for that matter, the sociological study "Tearoom trade". Removed for the sake of keeping covert)

* Do you approve of Michael Steele's plan to expand the GOP through a "hip-hop urban-suburban marketing strategy"? [hoping to get some juicy racist stuff from this question]
* (as an intentional misunderstanding/follow up, presuming that someone complains about wasteful government spending) "So you disapprove of your tax dollars going to the Iraq War?" [should elicit some confusion]
* Do you approve of the direction in which this country is headed? [With thanks to Bob Love]

Anyways, it's a start... but I'd love to have some suggestions for questions that sound fine, but should prompt an outpouring of crazy.

Thanks in advance, and I'll be sure to post a link to the finished video when it's available!



There are 147 suggestions so I will just add a few:

*"if the paranoid teabaggers across this great land treat every small camera crew as enemies, that could also make for some damn fine television."

* "Don't execute your plan if you are african-american or a member of any visible minority. Some tea-baggers are dangerous racist right-wing radicals"

* " have a buddy go of course in different car and have them start yelling Arm the Nuns! tape how many follow along ...

we always have a problem with our protests being diluted because of too many fractions coming out to play ... so dilute theirs too"

* " beware of any person of color, these are bound to be ACORNS and NOT Tea Baggers. Be on the look out for Muslims or anyone that looks "shady".

People that are happy - laughing and pointing at us should be considered suspected ACORNS.

IF you see someone of color AND laughing and pointing, alert your militia leader right away.

That is all - over and out."

Or, From:Teabagging Parties Gear Up to Put Unicorn Nuts on Your Face | Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace | AlterNet

"This gets to the basic issue with the whole Tea Party movement. It’s a group of fu**nuts joining other groups of marginally related fu**nuts to protest something or other, in a hugely fu**nutty way."

From: Greenville Crime Examiner: Greenville S.C. Tea party at Chiefs

"On April 15th, at the establishment known as Chiefs Wings and Firewater in Greenville South Carolina, a pre tea party is planned. They are giving away less pork sliders, Obama burgers where you will have to pay for and give half away, and free tea for everyone. There also will be fun and games for everyone to enjoy like the Uncle Sam dunk tank and the tea bag toss. This is an event known as a "getting to know" you sort of thing where neighbors from all walks of life or political affiliation can come together.

A.C.O.R.N. is an acronym stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is involved in other ways other then the get to know you route.

A.C.O.R.N. sent members over to Chiefs, to ask them to cancel the Pre-Tea party. Chiefs manager and owner told them he would not because as far as he knows this is still a free country. The ACORN members then went into the bathrooms at Chief’s and started to tear down flyers about the tea party that were hanging on the walls. Some members went as far as to smear ‘human feces” on the walls before they left that establishment."



From: Beware of the anti-tea party saboteurs! Minnesotans Tea Party

"It has been brought to our attention that there may be attempts by anti-tea party people to infiltrate tea party events..."

To call a Group "Racists" because of what you saw on Television is irrational, to excuse calling a Group "Racists" because of the Network you were watching is irresponsible.

[Matthew]

Originally Posted by RanchHQ

From another Thread:

"I actually saw some of the signs made by some of these people and they were fairly offensive with blatantly racist comments on them. Was this really about "Taxes" really? I wouldn't think this would be a group that people would want to be part of IMHO."
[COLOR="DarkRed"]
This has bothered me since yesterday.

I hear ya Ranch. I had the same reaction to the racist comment. Many people are overly sensitive so I can live with the highly subjective term of offensive. There is not a whole lot of ambiguity with the term racist. As I posted in the other thread I did not see any signs of racism at yesterdays' rally.

There is no doubt that the audience consisted of right leaning people, but I did not feel it was a "our side" vs "their side" rally. Sure there were some anti-Obama or anti-left type signs, but overall there were far more anti-tax increases and anti-bailout type signs. Some speakers mentioned Obama or other Democrats, but the loudest "boo" by far was when a speaker mentioned Republicans that voted to increase taxes or approve bailouts.

I have worked downtown for 7 years and try to make it to a rally whenever I can. This was one of the larger crowds, but not the largest. It was nice to see so many average Americans coming out for the cause. There were quite a few families out there as well as business people and military (mainly retired) people. I think it was a very positive event and I hope the momentum is continued.

[Smiley1]

I think it should be noted that the turnout was rather large, in spite of the non-partisan rally being mid-week on a workday. I'm sure more of our left leaning friends would have been there too, had it not started so early in the day (noon). I missed all the folks who usually attend rallys running around wearing backpacks and dark hoodies with bandanas covering their faces. I also was looking forward to having to sign a pledge indicating I understood it to be illegal for this event, if I chose to carry around bags of animal, or human, feces and urine. Yup, I sure missed those things this go-'round. Perhaps the next rally of us taxpayers will be geared more to their daily schedules.

Mick